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Elder God
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) |race = • Unknown, possibly unique |gender = • Referred to as male |status = • Active (post-Soul Reaver era, all timelines) |titles = • The Elder God • The Oracle of the Ancient Vampires |aliases = • The Elder • The One God • The Engine of Life • The Origin of all Life • The Devourer of Death • The Old One • The Circle of Life and Death • The Hub of the Wheel of Fate • The Ancient God • The True Enemy • The Prime Mover |territories = • The Spectral Realm as a whole • The Abyss, Lake of the Dead • The Cemetery • The Underworld • The Vampire Citadel |affiliation = • None |realm = • Exists simultaneously in the Material Realm and the Spectral Realm |birthera = • Unknown |voice = • Tony Jay |appearances = • • |mentioned = }} The Elder God is a major character in the Legacy of Kain series, first introduced in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, and returning in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Though initially a mysterious benefactor and ally to Raziel, the Elder God's portrayal becomes increasingly malicious as the series progresses. By the conclusion of Legacy of Kain: Defiance, it is regarded as the cause of "all of the conflict and strife throughout history", and as the main antagonist of the series as a whole. Depicted as a sentient, writhing mass of tentacles and eyes dwelling deep below the land of Nosgoth, the Elder God claimed to be the hub of the Wheel of Fate, the preternatural cycle of birth, death and rebirth to which all souls were drawn. However, Raziel later accused the Elder God of merely being a parasite on the Wheel, not its hub. Although this was not confirmed or denied, a consistent fact was that the Elder God was sustained by the Wheel's turning. Thus, as Vampires were immortal and their souls did not flow with the Wheel, they, and especially Kain, served as its greatest enemies. Role The Echoes of a Tortured Mind Dwelling coterminously within the Spectral Realm, where time was irrelevant, and the Material Realm, where time flowed linearly, the Elder God was capable of interacting with other entities in a chronologically-inconsistent manner. ~In the Spectral Plane, time is irrelevant. While you're in the Spectral Plane, time stops in the Material Plane. Use this phenomenon to solve otherwise impossible puzzles.~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver '' manual. (Eidos Interactive). (August 16, 1999) Download. The Elder God (The Oracle of the Ancient Vampires) at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter) Its enormous body, typically shown submerged in subterranean water, appeared to thrive and expand as Nosgoth's eras passed, and in the Soul Reaver era, its expanse occupied the Lake of the Dead. ''~Raziel recognizes the voice, and realizes that it's rising from the watery depths beneath the platform. As he steps to the edge and looks down, he sees that the Pillars descend into the murky depths of the chamber - and coiled around them are the tentacles and amorphous mass of the Elder God.~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. ~Raziel revisits the subterranean Pillars grotto after having been propelled over a century into Nosgoth's ghastly future. He is shocked to discover how the Elder God has encroached into the chamber – its tentacles wind chokingly around the shattered, broken Pillars, and the room’s murals have nearly been obliterated by the passage of its grasping limbs.~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "An ironic condemnation, given ''this guilty scene. One would think you’d torn down the Pillars single-handedly. What are you trying to obliterate as you drag your loathsome body through this chamber? And why, as Nosgoth descends into madness and misery, do you appear to thrive?"'' // ~(pause)~ // Raziel: "Things in this world, I am learning, are rarely what they seem. You, apparently, are no exception." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. When Raziel was condemned for pupating beyond his master Kain, the deified Vampire ordered Turel and Dumah to cast his "prodigal son" into the Abyss at the heart of the lake. ~The humans think it is a poison of the blood that makes us what we are. Fools, the blood only feeds the bodies we live in. To create a vampire, one must steal a soul from the abyss to reanimate the corpse. It is the body that demands the blood sacrifice; our souls gain their advantage from the powers of the underworld. As we matured, our earthly bodies evolved into a higher form. We assumed the powers and nobility of the Dark Gods. With each change, the trivial affairs of vampire and man held less interest. Always, it was Kain that would change first. After the master had experienced a new gift, one of us would follow in a decade or so. That is, until I had the audacity to evolve before my master. I was gifted with wings. And for my impertinence I was damned.~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver manual. (Eidos Interactive). (August 16, 1999) Download. Though "an eternity passed" and the descent had effectively "destroyed" Raziel's body, he still "lived"; he awoke at the bottom of the Lake, now a wraith inhabiting the Spectral Realm. Raziel: "Tumbling, burning with white-hot fire, I plunged into the depths of the abyss. Unspeakable pain... relentless agony... ... time ceased to exist... ... only this torture... and a deepening hatred of the hypocrisy that damned me to this hell. An eternity passed, and my torment receded, bringing me back from the precipice of madness. The descent had destroyed me... and yet I lived." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. The Elder God seized the opportunity to address the being, proclaiming to him "I know you, Raziel. You are worthy". Raziel expressed petulant horror at his own transformation, but the Elder claimed it had "only spared him from total dissolution". Elder God: "I know you, Raziel. You are worthy." // Raziel: "What madness is this? What pitiful form is this that I have come to inhabit? Death would be a ''release, next to this travesty."'' // Elder God: "You did not ''survive the abyss, Raziel. I have only spared you from total dissolution."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. As Raziel listened, it didactically explained the concept of the Wheel of Fate, and proclaimed that the existence of immortal Vampires imbalanced the world, preventing Nosgoth's souls from completing their destinies. Elder God: "You are ''reborn. The birth of one of Kain’s abominations traps the essence of life. It is this soul that animates the corpse you ‘lived’ in. And that Raziel, is the demise of Nosgoth. There is no balance. The souls of the dead remain trapped. I can not spin them in the wheel of fate. They can not complete their destinies. Redeem yourself. Or if you prefer, avenge yourself. Settle your dispute with Kain. Destroy Him and your brethren. Free their souls and let the wheel of fate churn again. Use your hatred to reave their souls... I can make it possible. Become my soul reaver, my angel of death..."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. "For eons the Elder fed upon the souls of Nosgoth. Then Kain's vampire dynasty deprived the Elder of sustenance." ~The Elder explained much to me. It told me of creation, of death, of souls and of hunger. For eons the Elder fed upon the souls of Nosgoth. Then Kain's vampire dynasty deprived the Elder of sustenance. For centuries his hunger grew and festered in this place.~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver manual. (Eidos Interactive). (August 16, 1999) Download. The putative God offered Raziel a "solution to his sorry existence"; if Raziel returned to the Material Realm and destroyed his former brethren, reaving their souls, he could exact revenge upon Kain. Deeply intrigued and lusting for vengeance, Raziel silently consented to this bargain, becoming the Elder's so-called "angel of death"; his "soul reaver". ~The Elder offered me a solution to my sorry existence - if I would stalk the Material Realm slaying my former brethren then I would have the chance to avenge myself against Kain. How could one refuse such an offer?~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver manual. (Eidos Interactive). (August 16, 1999) Download. There is Only the Now Communicating symbiotically with Raziel, the Elder God introduced its new servant to his capacities as a devourer of souls. Mentoring Raziel on Warp Gates, soul devouring, Sluagh and Planar Portals, it shepherded the wraith beyond the Lake of the Dead and into Nosgoth's barren wilderness. Elder God: "These gates twist space, laying a path across great spans." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. ~As Raziel is exiting the Warp Gate chamber he falters from weakness, leaning on a pillar to catch himself.~ // Elder God: "You are weak - you must feed." // Raziel: "The old hunger has left me; I have no desire for blood." // Elder God: "You are changed. Your blood-thirst is replaced by a deeper need - you have become a devourer of souls. To sustain your strength, you must hunt the lost spirits of the Underworld, and consume the souls of your enemies." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. ~Raziel spies a small pack of Sluagh from a safe distance; they are hunting and devouring the souls that Raziel needs to sustain his strength. His first encounter with spectral creatures.~ // Raziel: "What scabrous wretches are these?" // Elder God: "Sluagh, the scavengers of the Underworld. Their feral hunger has claimed countless souls - spirits who now shall never find their rest." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Elder God: "These portals are your conduit between the spectral and material realms. With their aid, you may gather matter and will yourself to become manifest in the physical world. This is taxing, however - your strength must first be fully restored. You require no conduit to return to this plane - you may abandon your physical body at any time." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. As he explored the land, Raziel encountered unfamiliar, monstrous creatures; the Elder explained that these were devolved Dumahim. ~Raziel first sees the devolved vampires of this new Nosgoth.~ // Raziel: "What are these creatures?" // Elder God: "Do you not recognize them? They are the children of your brother, Dumah." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Darkly bemused by Raziel's incredulity, the Elder chastized, "do you suppose that time stood still for you, Raziel? Much has changed since you passed from the world of men". Raziel: "That’s impossible - these foul, scuttling beasts could not be kin of our high blood." // Elder God: "Do you suppose that time stood still for you, Raziel? Much has changed since you passed from the world of men." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Five centuries had passed since Raziel's execution; at the Sanctuary of the Clans, he was assailed by violent tremors in the earth, prompting the Elder to explain that "this world is wracked with cataclysms - the earth strains to shrug off the pestilence of Kain’s parasitic empire". Blood Omen 2 Q&A at GameSpot (by Sam Newman) Remarking on how Kain had refused to martyr himself to restore the Pillars of Nosgoth, it asserted that the world's "unraveling", invited by Kain's Empire, had nearly played out. ~The ground shakes violently; Raziel is nearly knocked off his feet.~ // Elder God: "This world is wracked with cataclysms - the earth strains to shrug off the pestilence of Kain’s parasitic empire. The fate of this world was preordained in an instant, by a solitary man. Unwilling to martyr himself to restore Nosgoth’s balance, Kain condemned the world to the decay you see. In that moment, the unraveling began... now it is nearly played out. Nosgoth teeters on the brink of collapse - its fragile balance cannot hold." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. From then onward, it usually dispensed advice to Raziel following significant events only, or if its counsel was solicited in the Elder's Lair. When Raziel battled and slaughtered Melchiah, the Elder congratulated him and dismissed his misgivings of fratricide, expressing that Raziel was "elevated" by consuming his brothers' souls. Elder God: "You have done well, Raziel." // Raziel: "Am I reduced to this? A ghoul? A fratricide?" // Elder God: "Elevated, Raziel, not reduced. Consuming Melchiah’s soul has endowed you with a new gift. Insubstantial barriers such as these are no impediment to you in the spectral realm. Will yourself to pass through, and you shall." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. After Raziel fatefully claimed the Wraith Blade following his battle with Kain and the destruction of the Soul Reaver, it outlined the incorporeal weapon's uses, duplicitously stating Raziel had "liberated it from its corporeal prison, and restored it to its true form". ~Raziel reaches out and grasps the sword. The blade flares to life, its energy melding with Raziel’s.~ // Elder God: "From this moment and ever afterward, you and this blade are inextricably bound. Soul Reaver and reaver of souls, your destinies are intertwined. By destroying the sword, you have liberated it from its corporeal prison, and restored it to its true form - a wraith blade, its energy unbound. No longer a physical blade, it can only manifest itself in the material realm when your strength is fully restored. Once manifest, it will sustain you." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. At the Tomb of the Sarafan, it confirmed the revelation that Raziel was "born of the same force that all but destroyed his race", and freely volunteered the histories of the Drowned Abbey and the Ruined City. Elder God: "Yes, Raziel - you were Sarafan... born of the same force that all but destroyed your race. Before the dawn of the Empire, you were chosen.Kain - Nosgoth’s solitary, self-declared monarch - plundered this tomb and raised you from these crypts. Breathing his vampiric gift into your defiled corpses, he resurrected you as his favored sons." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Elder God: "Once a sanctuary against the vampire menace, this abbey has been drowned by the deluge spilling from this wounded land. Your brother Rahab and his brood, devastated even by the feeble rays of Nosgoth’s sun, overcame their vulnerability to water and retreated from the surface. Now they haunt these ruins, and glide in the darkness of its stagnant depths." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Elder God: "It was not Kain, but Dumah’s own arrogance that brought the downfall of his clan. These are human weapons, Raziel - believing themselves invincible, Dumah and his offspring failed to see an attack coming from the least likely assailants... Complacent in their arrogance, they were taken by surprise, allowing the human vampire hunters to decimate their ranks with little resistance. The few that escaped have been reduced to scavengers." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. All the while, however, it left its servant unwitting and ignorant of his true, inevitable destiny. Deep in the Heart of this World After Raziel battled Kain in the Chronoplast below the Oracle's Caves, he pursued his destroyer through the mechanism's portal, believing that by crossing the threshold, he was beyond the Elder's influence. ~As he finishes speaking, he turns and runs through the star portal. As Raziel prepares to follow Kain through the portal and into the void of the unknown, the Elder God’s disembodied voice admonishes him:~ // Elder God: "Be warned, Raziel - once you cross this threshold, you are beyond my influence..." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Raziel: "Ah, my ancient ‘benefactor’... And I dared to hope we had parted ways forever. Your silence was refreshing, while it lasted. No doubt you have a conveniently inexpressible reason for your presence here?" Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. He emerged in the Sarafan Stronghold of the much earlier pre-Blood Omen era, and, at first, encountered no evidence of the God's presence in this distant time period. Moebius: "No, you don’t kill me. That honor belongs to your maker, Kain, some thirty years from now." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. However, while preparing to strike Moebius down with the Soul Reaver in William the Just's chapel, he uttered that "Death comes for us all"; the cowering Moebius replied that "the Wheel of Fate demands it". Raziel: "Don’t concern yourself with Kain, old man. He’ll join you in hell soon enough. As you said, Death comes for us all..." // ~Raziel raises the entwined blades, fully prepared to strike Moebius down -~ // Moebius: "Yes... the Wheel of Fate demands it." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Taken by surprise, Raziel stayed his hand as Moebius confirmed that he, too, served the Elder God. ~Moebius’ statement stays Raziel’s hand momentarily -~ // Moebius: "The Wheel of Fate - the inexorable cycle of death and rebirth to which all men are compelled. We serve the same ''God, Raziel."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. The Time Guardian warned him that "to strike me down would be striking God’s own attendant, and I don't believe even you would take that risk". ~(Moebius grows more confident as he sees this is having some effect.)~ // Moebius: "To strike me down would be striking God’s own attendant, and I don’t believe even you would take that risk." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Disgusted by this new information, Raziel stalked away, spurning Moebius's pronouncements that he was "now most powerfully equipped to be His agent - His instrument of restoration and retribution". Moebius: "Go, then, Raziel. Seek Kain out and destroy him, in the name of the One God we both serve. You, who were once a Sarafan priest - murdered, profaned, destroyed and reborn again from His mercy... You are now most powerfully equipped to be His agent - His instrument of restoration and retribution." // Raziel: "My ''own vengeance is motivation enough."'' // ~(Raziel turns his back on Moebius and exits the chapel in disgust.)~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Based on Kain's "boasted exploits", he had already held a low opinion of Moebius, and the new context that the infamous Guardian was connected to the Elder instilled him with an intense distrust of both his co-conspirators. Raziel: "This, I deduced, must be the man himself - the Time Streamer, Moebius. He seemed not at all the impressive figure I had imagined from Kain’s boasted exploits. And yet, even this cold image radiated a certain undeniable power..." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Raziel: "You can drop the benevolent façade, Moebius. I know who - and ''what - you are. I should kill you where you stand..."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "You’ll forgive me if don’t naively devour every scrap of information you toss me. You have a reputation for deceit." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "I serve no one - not you, not Kain... and not your lackey, Moebius." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. In the Subterranean Pillars Chamber, the Elder God, its mass lodged in the waters deep below the surface and coiled around the Pillars, interrupted Raziel's study of the Ancient Vampire murals contained therein. ~The voice of the Elder God, now sharply clear and distinct, bubbles up from the depths of the chamber, as if in answer to Raziel’s unspoken question -~ // Elder God: "Lies'', Raziel..."'' // ~Raziel recognizes the voice, and realizes that it's rising from the watery depths beneath the platform. As he steps to the edge and looks down, he sees that the Pillars descend into the murky depths of the chamber - and coiled around them are the tentacles and amorphous mass of the Elder God.~ // Elder God: "Do not be deceived." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel had stayed his hand against Kain at the Pillars, and the two disputed, with the Elder admonishing Raziel that he owed it a debt, and Raziel disputing its candor, its relationship with Moebius and its supposed omnipotence, and avouching his own will. ~Raziel proceeds to explore Nosgoth after his encounter with Kain at the Pillars -~ // Raziel V.O.: "I didn’t know what impulse stayed my hand - why I had so willingly allowed Kain to escape me, when I had pursued him for so long. I had no reason to trust Kain, after he had valued me so little. And yet I found myself intrigued by his words. I had been too cruelly used to so gullibly play his pawn - but if this world truly had secrets to divulge, I was determined to expose them." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Elder God: "This impudence is unworthy of you, Raziel. Do not forget that you have a task to fulfill here. You are ''indebted to me."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "I harbor no illusions about his integrity, nor anyone else’s. In fact, I am beset by manipulation on all sides. I merely seek the ''truth."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "But perhaps not so omnipotent as you’d have me believe. Your hold on me appears to be tenuous. I no longer seem to need you, yet I’m guessing ''you still need me."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "Kain indeed deserves to die, for condemning me to this repugnant form. But if and when I kill him, it will be for ''me, alone, to decide."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. The Elder repeatedly encouraged Raziel to kill Kain, reiterating its opinion of the Vampires and stating that "to embrace a serpent is to invite poison into your heart", but Raziel - though still resentful of Kain - emphatically declared that "if and when I kill him, it will be for me, alone, to decide". Elder God: "You have grown willful, Raziel. But beware - to embrace a serpent is to invite poison into your heart. Kain is a sinuous beast; he will seduce and deceive you. You pride yourself on your free will, yet you let that degenerate deter your resolve." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Elder God: "Kain destroyed ''you without a flicker of remorse. He tore the soul from your noble corpse, and after you had served him faithfully for a thousand years, he discarded you in the Abyss on a jealous whim."'' // ~(pause)~ // Elder God: "Remember your ''rage, Raziel - let it guide your hand."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. In a Shroud of Righteousness As his quest to find Janos Audron progressed, Raziel returned to the Elder God in the Pillars grotto multiple times. Upon his return trip to the Sarafan Stronghold after solving the Dark Forge, the Elder acerbically acknowledged him as "my wayward child"; Raziel responded that he had "unearthed more than you’d like". Elder God: "Ah, my wayward child returns..." // Raziel: "Having unearthed more than you’d like, I suspect. What am I to make of these ruins that litter the land, and these images here in this chamber?" Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. He queried the Elder on the Ancients' ruins and murals, but it dismissed them as "the deceits of a failed civilization", one which "hoped to manipulate the future with these scrawled misdirections". Elder God: "Merely the deceits of a failed civilization. You are being misled, Raziel. This Ancient race hoped to manipulate the future with these scrawled misdirections. You must tread carefully. There are dark forces at work in this world, bent on subverting your true destiny." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. It warned that dark forces were at work in Nosgoth, bent on subverting his destiny, to which Raziel vocally wondered, "am I in their presence right now?" Raziel: "I have no doubt of that. The question is: am I in their presence right now?" Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Bristling, the Elder assured Raziel that his reach was longer than he realized, ominously concluding that he was playing "a very dangerous game". Raziel: "Your threats are unmoving. Even now I’m beyond your reach." // Elder God: "My reach is longer than you realize. This is a very dangerous game you’re playing, Raziel." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. The Elder God was next seen in the third timeline's Blood Omen 2 era, following Raziel's refusal to murder Kain at the Sarafan Stronghold, which resulted in the third paradox. A century onward from their last encounter, Raziel was shocked to discover that the Elder's amorphous form appeared to thrive, despite the chaos in Nosgoth following the Collapse of the Pillars. As it greeted Raziel with disdain, branding him "the failed assassin" and condemning Kain's actions, its body wound up and around the Pillars' shattered stumps in a "guilty scene" which prompted Raziel to note that "one would think you’d torn down the Pillars single-handedly". He commented on its potential motives and its hunger for souls, disdainfully arguing that "the great adversary of the vampires turns out to be the biggest parasite of them all". Though the Elder threatened to unmake Raziel if he were so inclined, warning of "fates worse than death", Raziel mocked it and typified it as a cancer; "a spooling parasite burrowed deep in the heart of this world". When he next conversed with it, as he pursued the Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors in the earlier Sarafan era following Janos Audron's death, it remarked with "ominous finality" that Raziel had failed it. Embittered at having been "used by others time and again", Raziel speculated as to whether the Elder had been responsible for his revival at all; whether he had simply been "dropped in its lair by Kain, indestructible for some reason. A durable and gullible tool for it to manipulate". He suspected by now that there was much more to his own history and destiny than either of them knew, but whether in light of its own vexation at Raziel's transgressions or for other reasons, the Elder God was not prepared to divulge any insight it may have had. Here in Eternity with Me After slaying his own past incarnation at the Sarafan Stronghold, Raziel realized the destiny the Elder God and others had apparently hidden from him; he himself was the soul-devouring entity fated to become trapped within the Reaver. Though Kain managed to postpone this fate by pulling the weapon from Raziel's body, the ordeal weakened Raziel to the point of catastrophe, forcing him back into the Spectral Realm. He was next seen in the Elder God's custody, trapped within the Underworld in the Blood Omen era. When Kain attempted to interrogate Moebius in the caverns below the Stronghold, a few years after the Slaughter of the Circle, he came upon the Time Streamer viewing this scene, and briefly conversing to the Elder via a shimmering pool. However, neither of them truly understood the Elder's nature, as Raziel did. It starved Raziel of souls in an attempt to force him to relinquish his will, but - convinced that the Elder was a "voracious parasite" - Raziel refused to submit to its entreaties, choosing to suffer. The Elder accused Raziel of "cowardice", understanding that his rebellion was partially motivated by fear of the Reaver; lingering in the Underworld, the wraith was able to indefinitely postpone his "inevitable doom". Unable to deny this truth, Raziel feigned submission to his master, and was rewarded with a soul. Progressing through the Underworld under its domineering auspices, he eventually made an attempt to flee the place in one of the area's tall caverns. Though the "displeased" Elder raised blankets of lethal mist and sundered the chamber's masonry with its limbs, it was unable to prevent his narrow escape. In the Pointless Round of Existence Soul Reaver 2 Era to be added in addition to remarking that Raziel had carried out its will even when he rebelled against it. The Elder also informed Raziel that he and Kain had interfered with its plans long enough, and their path on the Wheel of Fate was now at its end. Though the Elder admitted that it lacked the means to kill either Kain or Raziel, he did admit that the two could at least be stopped, and would learn the hard way that "oblivion can be a mercy." The Elder then ended the discussion, declaring that Raziel and Kain would spend eternity buried together in the Vampire Citadel, "praying for the merciful release of a death that will never come." Finale Realizing that this was the "true enemy" Raziel spoke of, Kain challenged the Elder God, declaring that it would not be driven to such action to destroy him and Raziel unless they could truly harm it. With the newly empowered Soul Reaver, Kain harmed the Elder and defeated it, before proceeding to escape the collapsing Spirit Forge. As he did so, the outraged Elder God ominously warned Kain that it would return. Character Development Appearance Personality Powers The Elder God is an incredibly powerful entity. As it exists in both the Material and Spectral Realms simultaneously, it is nearly invincible and can only be harmed by the Soul Reaver. It is also "eternally present, here and everywhere, now and always," allowing it to communicate with and recognize Raziel throughout history. The Elder also possesses incredible strength, able to use its tentacles to smash through walls and floors, even being able to drag the Spirit Forge underground. Furthermore, the Elder is telepathic, allowing it to mentally communicate with and read the minds of both Kain and Raziel. Etymology No given name has ever been attributed to the character, and the Elder God is never even formally referred to under this title in the characters' dialogue exchanges; the honorific is derived from a variety of other direct and supplementary official sources, including the games' bonus materials, dialogue scripts, casting credits and Prima guides. Within Legacy of Kain's universe, a Lovecraft's Diary floor texture in the Underworld from Legacy of Kain: Defiance also utilizes this moniker for the character. In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver's manual, Raziel simply refers to it as "the Elder", while at one point in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2, he names the creature "Old One", in apparent reference to the Cthulhu Mythos. Moebius regards it only as his master, and as "the One God". Legacy of Kain: Defiance introduces two alternate titles for the character; the ancient god, and the Oracle of the Ancient Vampires. In the same game, Kain scorns it as a "false god" and "the prime mover", metaphorically controlling Nosgoth's inhabitants like puppets. The Elder God itself makes use of more bombastic titles when asserting its own role, naming itself "the Engine of Life", "the Origin of all Life", "the Devourer of Death", "the Circle of Life and Death" and "the Hub of the Wheel". However, both Raziel and Kain express their rejection of these appellations in the course of the story. Notes *The Elder God had his agents the Archon working the spectral realm in Defiance (the Blood Omen realm that Raziel primarily inhabits). As his agents both Raziel and the Archon are immortal and are reapers of souls, souls that are spun into the Wheel of Fate. Both he and the Archons have features of particulary sea creatures, the Elder God does resembale "a giant squid". Seeing as how he feeds on souls, destroy Planar portals and edifices it is safe to say that he inhabits both the Material realm and the Spectral realm like Melchiah or Dumah (In Melchiah's case, its due to his evolution that he can inhabit both. He was the last Sarafan priest to be resurrected by Kain so "his soul could not sustain flesh which had retained much of it's previous human frailty"). This existence upon the material realm may be what makes him impervious to pain from either a spectral weapon, or a material weapon, but allowed him to be harmed by the Soul Reaver when it imbibed the pure spirit form of Raziel, and the material form of it's physical self. Gallery Appearances * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 * Legacy of Kain: Defiance See also * The Elder God (The Oracle of the Ancient Vampires) at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter). * An Alternate Introduction at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln). * A Return to the Soul Reaver era at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln). References }} Category:Soul Reaver characters Category:Soul Reaver 2 characters Category:Defiance characters Category:Unique entities Category:Vorgeschichte characters